Saddam Declares Iraq Victorious
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- In his first public comment since the United States and
Britain ended punishing airstrikes, President Saddam Hussein said Sunday that
the Iraqi people had triumphed.
``You have been worthy to what your leadership expected from you -- and to
your brother and comrade, Saddam Hussein,'' the president said. ``God will
repay you well and crowns your heart with clear victory.''
His brief comments, provided on tape to Qatar's Al-Jazeera Television and
other broadcast outlets, also chided the Arab world for not supporting Iraq in
its dispute over U.N. weapons inspections and sanctions.
Saddam told the Iraqis: ``Your sacrifice ... awakened those who are asleep or
those who pretended to be sick, a lot of whom exist in the Arab nation and in
the world.''
Earlier Sunday, Iraqi newspapers declared victory and pledged not to
compromise on contentious U.N. weapons inspections.
``Victorious again!'' said the banner headline Sunday in Al-Musawir Al-Arabi
weekly.
``Iraq does not deserve but victory with God's help,'' said Al-Thawra, which
is published by Saddam's ruling Baath Party.
The papers also suggested that Iraq would stand by its vow to end the work of
the U.N. Special Commission, which is charged with eliminating Iraq's weapons
of mass destruction.
The Iraqi government has not released a final casualty toll from the
airstrikes, but previous reports indicated that at least 42 people were killed
and 96 wounded.
It was Iraq's failure to cooperate with UNSCOM that prompted the United States
and Britain to launch airstrikes late Wednesday and early Thursday. President
Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair called a halt to the bombardment
Saturday night.
Al-Jumhuriya said in a red headline at the top of its front page: ``Swear by
God, we will never negotiate.''
Iraq has long contended that it has complied with U.N. resolutions calling for
the elimination of its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs as
well as long-range missiles.
But UNSCOM, headed by Richard Butler, says Iraq still is concealing weapons
and the means to produce them.
U.N. trade sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait will not be
lifted until UNSCOM certifies that the weapons are eliminated.
Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan announced Saturday night that the Baghdad
government no longer would work with UNSCOM, declaring that ``its mission is
over.''
It was not immediately clear what would happen to the U.N. weapons inspectors,
who were evacuated last week to the Gulf emirate of Bahrain, or the more than
100 U.N. humanitarian workers bussed to the Jordanian capital, Amman.
Caroline Cross, spokeswoman for UNSCOM, said in Bahrain on Sunday that 50
inspectors there were ``sitting tight and waiting for further instructions
from New York.''
Other inspectors, she said, had been sent home for the holidays.
U.N. officials in Amman refused to say when humanitarian workers would return
to Baghdad. When they were evacuated last week, U.N. officials said they would
return as soon as possible to resume oversight of U.N. aid programs.
Despite the halt to American and British airstrikes, air raid sirens sounded
in Baghdad at about 8:15 a.m. Sunday. The sirens were not accompanied by any
anti-aircraft fire, and it appeared they were sounded in error.
Clinton, in announcing an end to the attacks, said he hoped U.N. arms
inspectors could return to Baghdad with full Iraqi cooperation.
Blair made a similar statement and said Sunday that ``we want to see the
weapons inspectors go back in there.''
Both leaders threatened further military action, if necessary, to force Iraqi
compliance.
The U.N. teams not only must ensure that Iraq eliminates its weapons of mass
destruction but also are responsible for a long-term monitoring program to
ensure that Saddam doesn't rebuild his arsenal.
After Clinton's announcement, some Iraqis said the president's decision to
bomb had only produced more destruction for Iraq and failed to change the
situation of Iraqis suffering under U.N. sanctions.
``What has he gained? All these missiles and destruction ... all this
suffering, and it ends as if nothing has happened,'' said Muhend Fawzi, an
engineer.
On Saturday night, two missiles struck near the Labor and Social Affairs
Ministry, gouging a 40-foot hole into the earth.
Al-Thawra said Sunday that 15 people were wounded in the attack and six cars
destroyed. Iraqi officials had said Saturday that three guards were injured.
Witnesses also reported missile hits near Al-Mustansiriya University in
central Baghdad, and smoke could be seen rising from the area.
The last attack came soon after Baghdad's residents broke their fast on the
first day of Ramadan, the Muslim holiday that marks Prophet Mohammed's
receiving the Koran from God 1,400 years ago. Muslims fast during daylight
throughout the month.
